“It works well with my major. I have to live, breath and eat nursing 24/7. Here, I’m able to keep focused on that,” he says.

The self-described “city guy” who moved from Southern California to rural Ohio says he initially felt like a fish out of water at Hiram. That quickly faded, however, as the College’s friendly ethos took over.

“You can’t go a day without someone saying, ‘Hey, how ya doing?’ What I like most about Hiram is throughout the entire college everyone knows each other because it’s such a small school where people go out of their way to help you,” he says.

RJ describes Hiram’s professors as mentors who help guide students through academic and personal challenges. “There’s a lot of one-to-one interaction between students and professors. They do a good job of helping quiet students speak out,” RJ says.

Used to the typical 15-week semester, RJ admits that he was concerned about Hiram’s 12+3 semester. How would he manage through 15 weeks of coursework in a 12-week period? How would he fare with one intensive three-week class?

“All of the sudden, I’m taking finals before Thanksgiving,” says RJ, describing the thrill of having most of a semester behind him. “Then, I return to just one class and I’m done.”